scholarly journals Epidemiological survey of serum titers from adults against various Gram-negative bacterial V-antigens

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao Kinoshita ◽  
Masaru Shimizu ◽  
Koichi Akiyama ◽  
Hideya Kato ◽  
Kiyoshi Moriyama ◽  
...  

AbstractThe V-antigen, a virulence-associated protein, was first identified in Yersinia pestis more than half a century ago. Since then, other V-antigen homologs and orthologs have been discovered and are now considered vital molecules for the toxic effects mediated by the type III secretion system in infections caused by various pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. After purifying recombinant V-antigen proteins including PcrV from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, LcrV from Yersinia, LssV from Photorhabdus luminescens, AcrV from Aeromonas salmonicida, and VcrV from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, we developed an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay to measure titers against each V-antigen in the sera collected from 186 adult volunteers. Different titer-specific correlation levels were determined for the five V-antigens. The anti-LcrV and anti-AcrV titers shared the highest correlation with each other, with a correlation coefficient of 0.84. The next highest correlation coefficient was between anti-AcrV and anti-VcrV titers at 0.79, while the lowest correlation was found between anti-LcrV and anti-VcrV titers, which were still higher than 0.7 Sera from mice immunized with one of the five recombinant V-antigens displayed cross-antigenicity with some of the other four V-antigens, supporting the results from the human sera. Thus, the serum anti-V-antigen titer measurement system could potentially be used for epidemiological investigations on various pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria.

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1244-1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Bullock ◽  
H. M. Stuckey

Filtration (25 nm) and ultraviolet irradiation dosages of 13,100–29,400 microwatt seconds per square centimetre (μW∙s∙cm−2) effected a 99.98–100% reduction of five gram-negative fish pathogens — Aeromonas salmonicida, A. hydrophila, Vibrio anguillarum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the enteric redmouth organism in 12.5 °C clear spring water or spring water containing particulate matter. Filtration and a dosage of 4500 μW∙s∙cm−2 killed 99.83–100% of test strains in spring water and 4000–4750 μW∙s∙cm−2 killed 99.33–99.99% in water with particulate matter. Irradiation of unfiltered water containing particulate matter was less effective, especially at dosages of 5000 μW∙s∙cm−2 or less, which killed 97–99.94% of strains. Filtration and 13,100 μW∙s∙cm−2 irradiation of water containing A. salmonicida prevented transmission of furunculosis. Key words: ultraviolet irradiation, bacterial fish pathogens, water disinfection


mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia V. Monjarás Feria ◽  
Matthew D. Lefebre ◽  
York-Dieter Stierhof ◽  
Jorge E. Galán ◽  
Samuel Wagner

ABSTRACTType III secretion systems (T3SSs) are multiprotein machines employed by many Gram-negative bacteria to inject bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells to promote bacterial survival and colonization. The core unit of T3SSs is the needle complex, a supramolecular structure that mediates the passage of the secreted proteins through the bacterial envelope. A distinct feature of the T3SS is that protein export occurs in a strictly hierarchical manner in which proteins destined to form the needle complex filament and associated structures are secreted first, followed by the secretion of effectors and the proteins that will facilitate their translocation through the target host cell membrane. The secretion hierarchy is established by complex mechanisms that involve several T3SS-associated components, including the “switch protein,” a highly conserved, inner membrane protease that undergoes autocatalytic cleavage. It has been proposed that the autocleavage of the switch protein is the trigger for substrate switching. We show here that autocleavage of theSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium switch protein SpaS is an unregulated process that occurs after its folding and before its incorporation into the needle complex. Needle complexes assembled with a precleaved form of SpaS function in a manner indistinguishable from that of the wild-type form. Furthermore, an engineered mutant of SpaS that is processed by an external protease also displays wild-type function. These results demonstrate that the cleavage eventper sedoes not provide a signal for substrate switching but support the hypothesis that cleavage allows the proper conformation of SpaS to render it competent for its switching function.IMPORTANCEBacterial interaction with eukaryotic hosts often involves complex molecular machines for targeted delivery of bacterial effector proteins. One such machine, the type III secretion system of some Gram-negative bacteria, serves to inject a multitude of structurally diverse bacterial proteins into the host cell. Critical to the function of these systems is their ability to secrete proteins in a strict hierarchical order, but it is unclear how the mechanism of switching works. Central to the switching mechanism is a highly conserved inner membrane protease that undergoes autocatalytic cleavage. Although it has been suggested previously that the autocleavage event is the trigger for substrate switching, we show here that this is not the case. Rather, our results show that cleavage allows the proper conformation of the protein to render it competent for its switching function. These findings may help develop inhibitors of type III secretion machines that offer novel therapeutic avenues to treat various infectious diseases.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanh N. Lam ◽  
Tannia Lau ◽  
Adam Lentz ◽  
Jessica Sherry ◽  
Alejandro Cabrera-Cortez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAntibiotic resistant bacteria are an emerging global health threat. New antimicrobials are urgently needed. The injectisome type III secretion system (T3SS), required by dozens of Gram-negative bacteria for virulence but largely absent from non-pathogenic bacteria, is an attractive antimicrobial target. We previously identified synthetic cyclic peptomers, inspired by the natural product phepropeptin D, that inhibit protein secretion through the Yersinia Ysc and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Psc T3SSs, but do not inhibit bacterial growth. Here we describe identification of an isomer, 4EpDN, that is two-fold more potent (IC50 4 μM) than its parental compound. Furthermore, 4EpDN inhibited the Yersinia Ysa and the Salmonella SPI-1 T3SSs, suggesting that this cyclic peptomer has broad efficacy against evolutionarily distant injectisome T3SSs. Indeed, 4EpDN strongly inhibited intracellular growth of Chlamydia trachomatis in HeLa cells, which requires the T3SS. 4EpDN did not inhibit the unrelated Twin arginine translocation (Tat) system, nor did it impact T3SS gene transcription. Moreover, although the injectisome and flagellar T3SSs are evolutionarily and structurally related, the 4EpDN cyclic peptomer did not inhibit secretion of substrates through the Salmonella flagellar T3SS, indicating that cyclic peptomers broadly but specifically target the injestisome T3SS. 4EpDN reduced the number of T3SS basal bodies detected on the surface of Y. enterocolitica, as visualized using a fluorescent derivative of YscD, an inner membrane ring with low homology to flagellar protein FliG. Collectively, these data suggest that cyclic peptomers specifically inhibit the injectisome T3SS from a variety of Gram-negative bacteria, possibly by preventing complete T3SS assembly.IMPORTANCETraditional antibiotics target both pathogenic and commensal bacteria, resulting in a disruption of the microbiota, which in turn is tied to a number of acute and chronic diseases. The bacterial type III secretion system (T3SS) is an appendage used by many bacterial pathogens to establish infection, but is largely absent from commensal members of the microbiota. In this study, we identify a new derivative of the cyclic peptomer class of T3SS inhibitors. These compounds inhibit the T3SS of the nosocomial ESKAPE pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enteropathogenic Yersinia and Salmonella. The impact of cyclic peptomers is specific to the T3SS, as other bacterial secretory systems are unaffected. Importantly, cyclic peptomers completely block replication of Chlamydia trachomatis, the causative agent of genital, eye, and lung infections, in human cells, a process that requires the T3SS. Therefore, cyclic peptomers represent promising virulence blockers that can specifically disarm a broad spectrum of Gram-negative pathogens.


Physiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 326-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Troisfontaines ◽  
Guy R. Cornelis

The type III secretion (T3S) pathway allows bacteria to inject effector proteins into the cytosol of target animal or plant cells. T3S systems evolved into seven families that were distributed among Gram-negative bacteria by horizontal gene transfer. There are probably a few hundred effectors interfering with control and signaling in eukaryotic cells and offering a wealth of new tools to cell biologists.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 267-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teiji Sawa ◽  
Hideya Katoh ◽  
Hiroaki Yasumoto

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (6) ◽  
pp. 1648-1653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Li ◽  
Qiyao Wang ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Minjun Yang ◽  
Mazhar I. Khan ◽  
...  

β-Lactams disrupt bacterial cell wall synthesis, and these agents are the most widely used antibiotics. One of the principle mechanisms by which bacteria resist the action of β-lactams is by producing β-lactamases, enzymes that degrade β-lactams. In Gram-negative bacteria, production of β-lactamases is often induced in response to the antibiotic-associated damage to the cell wall. Here, we have identified a previously unidentified mechanism that governs β-lactamase production. In the Gram-negative enteric pathogenVibrio parahaemolyticus, we found a histidine kinase/response regulator pair (VbrK/VbrR) that controls expression of a β-lactamase. Mutants lacking either VbrK or VbrR do not produce the β-lactamase and are no longer resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Notably, VbrK autophosphorylation is activated by β-lactam antibiotics, but not by other lactams. However, single amino acid substitutions in the putative periplasmic binding pocket of VbrK leads its phosphorylation in response to both β-lactam and other lactams, suggesting that this kinase is a β-lactam receptor that can directly detect β-lactam antibiotics instead of detecting the damage to cell wall resulting from β-lactams. In strong support of this idea, we found that purified periplasmic sensor domain of VbrK binds penicillin, and that such binding is critical for VbrK autophosphorylation and β-lactamase production. Direct recognition of β-lactam antibiotics by a histidine kinase receptor may represent an evolutionarily favorable mechanism to defend against β-lactam antibiotics.


Author(s):  
Teiji Sawa ◽  
Mao Kinoshita ◽  
Keita Inoue ◽  
Junya Ohara ◽  
Kiyoshi Moriyama

The mechanisms underlying the effects of γ-globulin therapy for bacterial infections are thought to involve bacterial cell lysis via complement activation, phagocytosis via bacterial opsonization, toxin neutralization, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, recent advances in the study of pathogenicity in gram-negative bacteria have raised the possibility of an association between γ-globulin and bacterial toxin secretion. Over time, new toxin secretion systems like the type III secretion system have been discovered in many pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. With this system, the bacterial toxins are directly injected into the cytoplasm of the target cell through a special secretory apparatus without any exposure to the extracellular environment and, therefore, with no opportunity for antibodies to neutralize the toxin. However, because antibodies against the V-antigen, which is located on the needle-shaped tip of the bacterial secretion apparatus, can inhibit toxin translocation, this raises the hope that the toxin might be susceptible to antibody targeting. Because multi-drug resistant bacteria are now prevalent, inhibiting this secretion mechanism is attractive as an alternative or adjunctive therapy against lethal bacterial infections. Thus, it would not be unreasonable to define the blocking effect of anti-V-antigen antibodies as the fifth mechanism for immunoglobulin action against bacterial infections.


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